As a war between humankind and monstrous sea creatures wages on, a former pilot and a trainee are paired up to drive a seemingly obsolete special weapon in a desperate effort to save the world from the apocalypse.

Contents

[narrating] When I was a kid, whenever I'd feel small or lonely, I'd look up at the stars. Wondered if there was life up there. Turns out I was looking in the wrong direction. When alien life entered our world, it was from deep beneath the Pacific Ocean. A fissure between two tectonic plates. A portal between dimensions. The Breach. I was fifteen when the first Kaiju made land in San Francisco. By the time tanks, jets and missiles took it down, six days and 35 miles later, three cities were destroyed. Tens of thousands of lives were lost. We mourned our dead, memorialized the event, and moved on. And then, only six months later, the second attack hit Manila. Then the third one hit Cabo. And then the fourth. And then we learned, that this was not gonna stop. This was just the beginning. We needed a new weapon. The world came together, pooling its resources and throwing aside old rivalries for the sake of the greater good. To fight monsters, we created monsters of our own. The Jaeger program was born. There were setbacks at first - the neural load to interface with the Jaeger proved too much for a single pilot. A two pilot system was implemented, left hemisphere, right hemisphere, pilot-controlled. We started winning, Jaegers stopping Kaijus everywhere. But the Jaegers were only as good as their pilots. So Jaeger pilots turned into rock stars, danger turned into propaganda, Kaijus into toys. We got really good at it... winning. Then... then it all changed.

Years before, you wouldn't have picked my brother Yancy and I for heroes. No chance. We were never star athletes, never at the head of the class. But we could hold our own in a fight. And it turned out we had a unique skill - we were drift compatible. [we see the two brothers being suited up and then boarding onto their Jaeger]

There are things you can't fight - acts of God. You see a hurricane coming, you get out of the way. But when you're in a Jaeger, suddenly you can finally fight the hurricane. You can win.

Now, you have no idea who the hell I am or where I've come from, and I'm not about to tell you my whole life story. All I need to be to you and everybody on this dome is a fixed point. The last man standing. I do not need your sympathy or your admiration; all I need is your compliance and your fighting skills. And if I can't get that, then you can go back to the wall that I found you crawling on.

Today. Today... at the edge of our hope, at the end of our time, we have chosen not only to believe in ourselves, but in each other. Today there is not a man nor woman in here that shall stand alone. Not today. Today we face the monsters that are at our door, and bring the fight to them. Today, we are canceling the apocalypse!

Mako! You can finish this! I'll always be there for you! You can always find me in the drift!

(At Hong Kong Shatterdome) Things have changed. We're not an army anymore, Mr. Becket. We're the resistance. Welcome to the Shatterdome.

War clock. We reset it after every Kaiju attack. Keeps everyone focused. The frequency of attacks is accelerating.

A week, if we're lucky. My experts believe there'll be a Kaiju attack... ...even before that. This complex used to lodge... ...30 Jaegers in five bays just like this one. Now we only have four Jaegers left.

Very effective. That tank, last of the T-90s. Chemo Alpha. First generation Mark 1. The heaviest and oldest Jaeger in the service. But make no mistake, Mr. Becket, it's a brutal war machine. And those two: Sasha and Aleksis Kaidanovsky.

2,500 tons of awesome... Or awful. You know, whatever you wanna call it.

See, the first wave, that was just the hounds! Categories 1 to 4, it was nothing! Their sole purpose was to aim for the populated areas and take out the vermin: us! The second wave, that is the exterminators, and they will finish the job! And then, the new tenants will take possession!

Raleigh Becket: What is that, Yamarashi? [pointing to the tattoo on his arm]

Dr. Newton Geiszler: This little Kaiju? Yeah, you got a good eye.

Raleigh Becket: My brother and I took him down in 2017.

Dr. Newton Geiszler: You know he was one of the biggest Category 3's ever? He was 2,500 tons of awesome. [there's a moment's pause as Raleigh gives him a cold look] Or awful. You know, whatever you wanna call it.

American UN Representative: The Kaiju are learning our defenses. They're adapting, evolving. We're losing Jaeger's faster than we can build them. Lima. Seattle. Vladivostok. Category 4 Kaiju's are now coming through the breach. I think that you can see, Marshall, this is no longer a sound strategy. The frequency of the attacks has increased. The Jaeger's are not the most viable line of defense anymore.

Stacker Pentecost: I am aware. Those are my ranger that die every time a Jaeger falls, which is why I'm asking you for one last chance...

British UN Representative: Excuse me, Marshall. Excuse me!

Stacker Pentecost: One final score with everything that we've got.

British UN Representative: Excuse me! The Jaeger program is dead, Marshall. On the other hand, the coastal wall program is a promising option.

American UN Representative: The world appreciates all that you and your men have done, but it's over. We will authorize you to take all remaining Jaegers to the last battle station in Hong Kong. We're prepared to fund you for the next eight months while the coastal wall is completed. After that, you will receive no further support.

Canadian UN Representative: You have our answer, Marshall.

[the TV monitors go black as the meeting ends]

Tendo Choi: So that's it? It's over?

Herc Hansen: Suits and ties and flashing smiles. That's all they are, Stacker.